It was sent to the Rt Hon David Lidington’s Private Secretary by registered post this afternoon (Friday) and is guaranteed to arrive before 1pm on Monday. I alerted the FCO that it was being sent so they are expecting it. It contains 1145 signatures on 108 pages and shows names, email addresses and all comments that were made.

The petition is still open for signing. More signatures will be sent to DL once we know the date of any further Road Shows in the UK. Let’s try to keep the ball rolling.

The petition continues to gather signatures and definitive comments. We have 1228 as I write. Thank you – and keep them coming.

Yesterday I met with my local MP, Alan Duncan, Minister for International Development and colleague in the Foreign Office of David Lidington. It was at his regular surgery. I presented him with a copy of the petition with only names and comments of 1210 signatories. I asked that he support me, on behalf of all who have signed, in achieving a face-to-face meeting with David Lidington to discuss the two proposals to make to the Spanish government that many of us believe could help to quickly resolve a large number of our property problems. He listened, was sympathetic, and was immediately drafting a letter to DL to his aide sitting with him. A photograph of us with the petition was taken for the local press and should appear on his website. All good publicity.

And talking of publicity, RTN had an article based on the petition and a photograph of DL on its front page this week, thanks to the journalist Jack Troughton. See it here:

BTW, for those of you who are resident in the UK, you too can make an appointment with your local MP – they all have surgeries - at which you can discuss your buying and selling property problems. The politicians are really not aware of the scale and range of the problems so it’s up to us to make them aware. As a strategy, I’ve found that more can be achieved in a face-to-face meeting than in a letter. So, where you can, go for it.

Regarding contacting our local M.P.s, I believe that they are not particularly interested other than being full of sympathy for the money we have lost and the stress we have been caused.

However we were told that since she had no experience of Spanish property law, she was unable to offer us any advice, other than ensure that our Spanish lawyer is a member of the appropriate professional body. ? ? ? ?

First, I want to say a big thank you to those who have supported my Open Letter to David Lidington. Through your help I was able to send the letter to him carrying the first batch of 1145 signatures. By leaving the petition open it has attracted a further 100 signatures to be sent.

The Road Show was promised back again in the UK this month but as yet there is no news of where or when. However, I will send this next batch of signatures on to David Lidington in this coming week as a reminder that we want him to speak to his Spanish counterparts on our behalf. He must not forget us.

In my accompanying letter sent with the early first batch I requested a face-to-face meeting with him so that a group of us could expound on problems we have all been facing in one way or another. I secured a meeting with Alan Duncan, my own MP, who has agreed to support me in this request. I wait to hear.

An appeal to sellers

Next, I would like to add some reassurance to those Forum readers who are unhappy with petitions such as this. Underlying all the petitions is a desire to raise trust in the Spanish legal and judicial systems which underpin all property transactions, whether buying or selling. At present, there is none.

Property law in Spain (Ley 57/1968) is very clear and very sound. What has let it down is the implementation of that law. Until the law is properly enforced we will continue having to put up with a culture of lies and deceit, provocation and fraud, and the brown-envelope brigade will prevail. This has to stop for the sake of everyone: the British, the Spanish, the buyers and the sellers – we are all in it together.

The petition to David Lidington asks for two strategies to be put forward as ways of progressing the build up of trust.

Where Bank Guarantees have not been issued, or not been honoured, banks and other financial institutions should be made to reimburse all deposits paid, with the addition of legal interest, in accordance with LEY 57/68. Cases where this has not happened should never have to come to court at all. A guarantee is a guarantee – there should be no equivocation.

Fast-track courts dealing only with property issues should be set up to deal quickly with the huge backlog of cases which have caused so much stress and heartache to thousands (yes, thousands) of people left without buildings, without money and/or without hope of justice ever being achieved.

The Law should be made the rule – no ifs, no buts. This is the 21st.C and Spain must grow into it whether brought kicking and screaming through pressure from the European Parliament or through its own Government seeing sense and imposing fines and other sanctions on wrongdoers.

So sellers, please add your voice to the petition, too. Tell David Lidington that you are finding it difficult or well nigh impossible to sell in this climate of mistrust. Let him know of your experiences and how you feel. Please don’t blame the messenger (the petition) – identify the root causes of the problem and lay them at the feet of those to whom they belong. Too much damage has been done over this past decade. The Spanish Government must act if it is ever to regain our confidence.

This petition will close once we know the dates of the second round of Road Shows. Please make sure your name is on it.

Well, it's 8 July today and still no news of when the Spanish Property Roadshow is returning to the UK. Could it be that the Spanish Ministers have changed their minds??? No, it's just that they're taking their time. And isn't it holidays now? July and August rings bells with me.

There are currently 1267 signatures on the petition and it is still OPEN.

Please make your voice heard.

Add your name and comment (anonymously if you wish) - they are very telling.

Been trying to find out if there is a Lawful Law for Properties here in Spain.Now I Understand in the Costa Blanca there are 1,5 Million Homes sold illegally ,All without Mains Water.In Spain more then 3 Million illegal Homes without Mains Water,Each Buyer from Britain, France, Germany, Ireland ,Sweden, Holland, All paid there Fees to a Spansi Lawyer to Protect them,The Property Deeds were Signed Legal by the Abogado.The Property Deeds went through the Notary .Land Regustry .Local Council.Planning Department, Sent back to the Notary for Sale .So they must then Found no Fault.Three weeks later told your House will not have Mains Water because it is illegal, Same thing went on throughout all the buyers, Speaking to a Spanish Student of Property Law, He tells me Once a Buyer pays his Fees, He then is a Client of the Lawyers,And by this is Covered by the Spanish Goverment.The Lawyers must not pass anything which is illegal,.Signing of the Property Deeds by the Abogado.Is Stating he cannot find anything wrong with the said Property,Stamping the Property Deeds by the Notary, is stating that the Land Registry has checked out everything.The Local Council Planning Department has checked out every thing,The Notary and Abogado has checked out every thing.And once the Property Deeds are Stamped they are Fully Legal by Goverment Approval.(WHY ELSE WOULD THE SPANISH LAWYERS SIGN AND STAMP THE PROPERTY DEEDS,IF NOT FOR LEGALISING THEM) this is the Spanish Law on Properties So he tells me ,But Another Abogado tells ne ,Not many Spanish People will use a Abogado they just don't Trust them.Up to 2009 there was Black and White Money ,This was put in by the Spanish Lawyers Selling Properties to make more Money,You had to pay half the Price of the House with a check ,The other half by Cash, This Cash was Split up.+there Lawyer Fees,Now when the European Parliment heard of this, They were going to take Action.But the Spanish Goverment Stoped it in 2009.Saying it was not Lawful.REMEMBER,But none of the Lawyers were ever taken to Court.Now selling illegal Houses is the same thing to make Money.On Spanish Television they have Quoted that to take a Fee to Protect a Client then to Sale him a illegal Property is Committing Fraud.And Fraud is a Crime in Spain.With a Prison Sentence,This was also Mentioned in Brussels.REMEMBER,April this Year,The MPs said we do not Want to send all these People to Prison, Although they should all go because they have broken the Spanish Laws,But if they make all the Victims of the Scam,LegaL in every way, And give them Mains Water. Electricity.And a very Large Compensation for the way they have been Treated,Going without there Rights .HUMAN RIGHTS .Mains Water and Electricity,Just think how much the Spanish Goverment. Make on Selling these Homes and the Pensions coming into Spain every Year, Give you a Clue.Each Houuse -200 000 Euroes .x 3 Million,Pensions 10 .000 Euro's Per House x 3 Million Euro's Each Year,Besides given the Spanish Work.Jobs Around the House.It was said in the European Parliment this is the Biggest Money Spinnner Spain Has,Bigger then the exports to America,And they Treat us like this,Marta Andreasen EU MP Spoke to the Spanish Prime Minister (Watch it on youtube)And said she was Ashamed of Spain.Don't they make Enough Money out of these Good People without taking on a Scam to sale there unwanted illegal Homes.Because no Person in there Right Minds would buy a illegal Home,We know that Spain was stuck with all these illegal Homes,But to do it this way is a Crime in its self.SO ALL THE EU COUNTRIES ARE FIGHTING FOR US ,IT IS NOT THE COUNTIRES LAWS.AS YOU SAY AND YOU CANNOT INTERFERE.IT HAS BEEN SHOWN FROM EVERY COUNTRY,INTHE EU.IT HASBEEN SHOWN ON SPANISH TV.,THAT IT IS WRONG YOU CANNOT PUT YOUR HEADS IN THE SAND ANY MORE,THIS IS NOW OUT ,IT IS EFFECTING 3 MILLION PEOPLE .HOW CAN YOU FORGET ABOUT IT,ASK YOUR SELF .WHY DO THEY SIGN AND STAMP PROPERTY DEEDS,WHY DO THEY ASK FOR A FEE,WHAT IS THERE OBLEGATION TO THERE CLIENT.AND IS IT RIGHT TO SALE ILLEGAL PROPERTIES ,AND IS IT NOT RIGHT THAT WE HAVE OUR HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTED BY YOU,

I have now received a letter from David Lidington in response to the petition I sent to him on 2 June with 1145 signatures attached. As many of you wrote comments he did respond with some sympathy and told of the efforts that his department have made so far in respect of resources allocated and diplomatic moves made. We are aware of much of this as the letter is basically a standard letter which is sent out to all those who write to him.

In addition, when I sent the petition to Mr. Lidington I also sent a personal letter requesting a meeting with him to discuss the particular issues cited at the end of the open petition letter. This has produced a result.

Mr. Lidington has agreed to a meeting.

It will take place in early September, sometime between the end of the summer recess of parliament and the autumn conference season. It will be a closed meeting with a very small group of five and will be of short duration: 45 minutes only is to be allotted.

This means that the meeting will be very tightly focussed. I will be preparing a ‘frame of reference’ document to send to him in advance and I hope that this will result in a thoughtful and productive discussion.